Act Two, Chapter One: A Ranger's Dream
Upon returning from his leave of absence, Ace returns to the party with a dire omen... as well as a promising new lead for adventure. Following the party's expedition into the ruins and their subsequent betrayal by Veritas, the Sons of Shadowfell are contacted by Ace through his messenger hawk. The hawk carries a note requesting that the party rendezvous at Shadowfell Keep for a briefing of a new discovery. The party meets back with their ranger at the keep to discover that Ace has been tracking a mysterious barge through the southern rain forests for the past day before it docked in a flooded ravine. Ace proceeds to requests the party's aid in investigating the barge without reward, gathering the companionship of Enoki, Cignuss and Alredor, while the rest of the party remains in Shadowfell to unwind. Ace leads his companions to a cliff overlooking the river and barge, with a lighthouse perched on an opposite cliff. Below the party, a large black naval vessel sits below, dotted with soldiers in dark armor. After determining that the vessel is in fact a slave barge, the four discuss their course of action. Ace and Alredor, both possessing a considerable amount of agility, make the decision to cross the ravine and investigate the lighthouse across the ravine while Cignuss and Enoki stay behind due to their considerably more ponderous natures. Alredor and Ace lower themselves into the water using a rope and proceed to cross the water without attracting the attention of the soldiers on board. Alredor feels a current brush against her leg, but keeps swimming onward with Ace. The two take note of a series of sea caves next to the barge as they pass and reach the other side. After scaling the cliff face, the elves move towards the lighthouse. Ace peeks through the door to see three armored soldiers patrolling the floor. He signals for Alredor to sneak attack one of the guards, and upon said sneak attack failing, a fight ensues. The elves fight with agility and speed, cutting left and right with their blades and cutting the soldiers down. They scale to the top of the lighthouse, overlooking the barge, as well as Enoki and Cignuss. "Got any threes?" Cignuss vacantly asks Enoki, who shakes his head. "Go squid." Cignuss sighs, ripping a squid from the water with his beefy arm. "How abou-" Cignuss is cut short by the throwing of a net over his body and tightening, effectively snaring him, as well as Enoki. Three strange humanoid creatures with blue-green, webbed skin begin to drag the pair into the woods. Enoki manages to get a grip of his net, tearing the feeble fibers apart and freeing himself. The half-orc cuts a creature down before slamming his axe into the net containing Cignuss, freeing the barbarian to wreak havoc on the creatures. In the ensuing battle, Cignuss finishes off the last of the creatures by bashing him off the edge of the cliff... and directly onto the barge below. Shouts ring out on the deck as the soldiers sight the warriors, who begin firing ballista bolts at them before realizing the larger threat- an incredible amount of the monsters rising from the depths of the water and clinging to the sides of the vessel. The slave barge attempts an escape, but is stopped by creatures on the clifftops lashing the bow of the boat to the sides, causing the ship to run aground and crash violently into the side of the ravine. Mass hysteria spreads on the boat as more creatures begin to board and attack the soldiers. Cignuss and Enoki look on at the madness that they cause before noticing a few dozen webbed creatures coming after them. After a brief glance at one another, the pair bolts into the woods with a horde of angry fish people chasing them. Ace and Alredor look on from the top of the lighthouse vacantly. The elves rush down the stairs of the lighthouse to come to the aid of their companions.